Foodie

by JESSICA LIN & SUJIN THOMAS | AsiaOne

平昌，再见。

Food, glorious food! From traditional Japanese fare to hybrid sweets found nowhere else in the world, Tokyo offers a foodie experience like no other. There is no need to feel overwhelmed by the barrage of choices, this list is here to save the day!

This small 16-seater basement restaurant is known for serving bowls of fluffy rice overflowing with large pieces of tempura fried to perfection and drizzled in a mouth-watering sauce. Recommended on Michelin's Bib Gourmand list, the lunch set here costs anywhere from as low as 1,000 yen (about S$12.50 at the current exchange rate), while a dinner set will set you back by just 3,500 yen.

Awarded two Michelin stars, Kondo serves up a tempura experience like no other. Owner-chef Fumio Kondo sources ingredients from his travels across Japan so that he presents the best produce the nation has to offer. Lunch sets start from 7,020 yen while a dinner course costs anywhere from 11,080 yen. Reservation required.

Ramen

A ramen eatery in the Hazomon area, Soranoiro is the place to go if you want Michelin-recommended noodles at affordable prices. The crowd favourite here is the special vegetarian soba (1,050 yen). There is also an offshoot branch called Soranoiro Nippon at Tokyo Station's Ramen Street.

Afuri Ramen

Photo: Facebook/AFURI 恵比寿

Fans of the Japanese citrus yuzu fruit will love Afuri Ramen's signature yuzu-based soups. The wildly popular restaurant which offers refreshing and extremely addictive soup bases is found in eight accessible locations across Tokyo, but our favourite is the Ebisu branch. If you're visiting with friends who aren’t used to the tangy taste of yuzu, there are non-yuzu and vegan options too. From 880 yen.

There are so many sushi shops at Tsukiji Fish Market that it can be very difficult to settle on just one place. If you don't have the time to (queue for and) try them all, Sushi Dai would be a wise investment. Loved by locals and tourists alike, Sushi Dai is a Michelin-recommended eatery where you can get top-notch sushi lunches at very reasonable prices. The seasonal fish omakase set costs around 3,900 yen. Though it opens till late in the afternoon, you'll have to get there early as the restaurant often hits full capacity before noon.

Sugita

It isn't hard to find good sushi in Tokyo, but some sushi restaurants are not just good - they are exceptional. Sugita's owner-chef Takaaki Sugita is well-known not only for his conscientiously-made sushi, but also for exemplifying the Japanese concept of omotenashi. A must-try here is the kohada sushi, and expected damage to your wallet for one meal is around 20,000 yen to 30,000 yen. Still, the wait to get a seat at this one-star restaurant can stretch for months so be sure to make your reservation early.

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The Japanese people have a long love affair with their iced desserts, and this 10-year-old Ebisu shop is the top choice for many ice lovers in Tokyo. The creative and delicate plating of seasonal toppings on ice-cream and kakigori (around 640 yen) also make it the perfect place to bring a date.

Yuki no Shita

Photo: Jessica Lin

The pancake craze has hit an all-time high in Tokyo, with long queues forming outside pancake restaurants like Kaila and Sarabeth even before the shops open every day. But tucked away in a quiet street in Giza is Yuki no Shita, which has gained a large domestic following thanks to its chewy thick pancakes. There's quite a bit of walking needed to get here but the Ehime lemon pancake (750 yen) served with a scoop of ice-cream makes the work-out worth it.

Part of the Salon series of lifestyle store-cafes in Tokyo, Salon Ginza Sabou pays homage to the nation's favourite beverage - tea. It not only offers a variety of traditional tea, it also serves delicate traditional desserts like dorayaki and ohagi (both 500 yen). The number one item here though, is the green tea parfait (1,100 yen), which is served in a wooden box sealed by a layer of chocolate.

Unlike most loud and wacky cartoon-themed cafes, this cafe dedicated to the world's favourite beagle is surprisingly elegant and minimalistic. Instead of having characters shoved in customers' faces at every turn, the Peanuts Cafe presents the spirit of the comic strip's characters through subtle branding. Entry is strictly by reservation via its website only. If you do manage to get yourself a table there, you will only have 90 mins to dine. A must-try is the Yaki Marshmallow Latte (800 yen), and don't forget to pick up a few souvenirs on the way out.

Nicolas House

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If you love bunnies and desserts, Nicholas House is a place that combines both. No, there aren't any real rabbits here, but there's the next best thing - parfaits and cream puffs (from 1,780 yen and 350 yen respectively) dressed as colourful bunnies.

Shiro-hige’s Cream Puff Factory

Photo: Shiro-hige’s Cream Puff Factory

One look at these incredible cream puffs and there's no way you wouldn't want to buy at least one. Even if you're not a Totoro fan, these anime-insired choux are hard to resist. After having your cream puff (about 400 yen), head towards the hipster neighbourhood of Shimokitazawa for some vintage clothes shopping.

Comcrepe

You can't say you've truly experienced the kawaii culture of Harajuku until you've eaten a whipped cream-filled crepe on its busy streets. Comcrepe is a newbie compared to the well-established Marion Crepes, but it is already top competition for the short time its been in business. Around 150,000 of its popular Crepe Brulee (550-650 yen), which comes with a caramelised brulee lid, is sold annually!

Asakusa Menchi

Located in the midst of souvenir shops in the lead-up to Sensoji Temple, is a small food stall famous for deep fried meat patties called menchi. The aroma of these juicy katsu patties is hard to miss, and the taste quite impossible to forget.

Ginnoan/ Croissant Taiyaki

Photo: Facebook

It's a croissant! It's a taiyaki! No, it's Croissant Taiyaki! The debut of the Croissant Taiyaki a while back took sweet-toothed Tokyoites by storm. At 210 yen each, these crispy sweet treats come in a variety of flavours, including seasonal ones that get snapped up pretty quickly.

You can't make a trip to the hipster suburb of Shimokitazawa without stopping by for a Tenmaya kare-pan (curry bread). Made with the perfect ratio of crispy panko, soft Japanese bread and aromatic curry, Tenmaya gives other well-known kare-pan stores a run for their money. For extra indulgence, order the hanjuku egg kare-pan (250 yen) which oozes runny egg yolk and beef curry when bitten into.

You’re never going to be far from a watering hole in Tokyo if the urge to have a drink ever arises, especially if smaller bars or more intimate experiences is your thing.

Some spots are easy to find with a GPS or map but others might be hidden away in basements of buildings so perseverance is the name of the game - depending on your poison.

Golden Gai

This area in Shinjuku is slightly off the tourist map with bars able to accommodate anything from two to six patrons, tops.

Photo: Sujin Thomas

Its six tiny alleys are packed with some 200 bars and eateries laid out on a grid and left largely untouched since World War II. Each bar has its own look and themes (think heavy metal, horror movies and hospital-themed bars) so be prepared for an outlandish experience complete with an entertaining bartender if you’re lucky enough to score a seat.

Photo: Sujin Thomas

Don’t be surprised to see “Members Only” signs out the front of most bars - this usually means the operator caters only to regular customers or those who speak Japanese. And be warned, most bars have a cover charge too.

Address
1 Chome Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0021

Opening hours
Mon-Sat: 5.30pm-5am; Sun: 8pm-12am

How to get there:
It’s 10-minute walk from the East exit of Shinjuku station and is sandwiched between Kabukicho and Hanazono Shrine.

Kirin City Shibuya West

Photo: Sujin Thomas

Shibuya generally has an abundance of bars you can easily hop from but if Japanese beers is what you’re after, why not try this restaurant/bar on the fringe of Shibuya’s shopping belt?
In most countries, you may only get one kind of Kirin - its signature lager. Kirin City serves up at least eight variants of the popular brew including a German lager called the Brau Meister (540 yen) and a unique Half & Half (600 yen), that’s half stout, half lager.

How to get there:
It’s a two-minute walk from JR Shibuya Station West Exit.

Tasu Ichi

Photo: Sujin Thomas

Your trip to Tokyo is not complete without a stopover at a “300 yen” bar. Such bars get that name from the fact that most of their housepours like beer and whisky highballs go for 300 yen a pop. Tasu Ichi in Shibuya is one those must-go standing sports bars with cheap drinks and food, which packs up quickly on the weekends.

Photo: Sujin Thomas

It’s a great place to meet people from all over the world so when you add cheap (and decent) booze to the mix, you can only get great conversation.